Two weeks of talk finally give way to the game

San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (85) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed (20) in the first quarter.

It's time to finally get down to the issues Super Bowl XLVII viewers care about most.

Will Beyonce lip synch at halftime? What's that crazy baby in those E-trade commercials going to say now? Is that a hint of cumin I taste in the guacamole?

You know, the things that really matter.

Truthfully, I can't blame anyone if they've completely shut down after two weeks of carpet bombing has left you weary, eyes glazed over as the drum-banging hype approaches absurd levels.

But here's what I'll say about all that.

There's nothing particularly sexy about a Baltimore Ravens-San Francisco 49ers showdown, particularly a year after the Giants and Patriots put on a show that was the most-watched program in television history.

But all those storylines that have been so overdone are actually quite compelling. And right down the line, they are the factors that will decide who raises the Lombardi Trophy, and who has the opponent's confetti sticking to their sweaty face, as Randy Moss so eloquently put it last week before declaring himself the greatest receiver ever.

See, that's an example right there.

Outrageous as Moss' statements might have seemed, if the he has a Jerry Rice-like performance, the 49ers will have their sixth world championship and he'll have the adoration of Bay Area fans forever, if he's still not the greatest ever.

I know, if you hear "Bro Bowl" one more time you can't be held responsible for your actions. I get it.

The reality, though, is that Ravens' John Harbaugh and his younger brother Jim with the 49ers, are two of the league's best coaches. And the one who outmaneuvers the other will be the apple of Jim and Jackie Harbaugh's eye.

Hey, did anyone hear Ray Lewis was retiring?

Well, in case you just returned from the upper Amazon, the Ravens' linebacker is stepping away, and, with his legend expanding exponentially each day, we've all learned about things like healing power of deer antlers and that God might be wearing purple today.

But if Lewis' teammates continue to rally around their future Hall of Famer and pull off another shocker, like that miraculous overtime win in Denver, anything's possible for the underdogs.

Colin Kaepernick is adopted and wrote a letter to himself in fourth grade about wanting to be the 49ers' quarterback, and Joe Flacco has been unconscious in the postseason after with a new contract from the Ravens looming in the offseason.

And while all those angles have been explored and commented on, if Kaepernick breaks a long run or Flacco can find Torrie Smith deep downfield, it may well be the deciding factor.

The 49ers' Alex Smith lost his job to Kaepernick after a midseason concussion and ? oops, that one's actually not going to have an impact on the outcome.

I never remember David Akers missing a kick against the Giants when he was with the Eagles all those years. Nor did he miss any last season when he set a record for the most field goals in a season.

But now the 49ers' kicker is fallible, and he missed a short one in the NFC Championship game, while the Ravens' Justin Tucker's been very good, but he's a rookie.

Who will be Adam Vinatieri, and who will be Scott Norwood?

On a personal level, I am curious to see Beyonce, and maybe Jay-Z will turn up on stage. I laugh every time I see those E-trade commercials. And cumin makes everything better.

As for on the field, I'm confident the withering coverage of the key storylines will turn out to be justified.

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Hype gives way to the game

It's time to finally get down to the issues Super Bowl XLVII viewers care about most.

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